"Research?? What is THAT?"  This is a question that we have heard more times than we can count. Let me try to explain:

 

In the Research practice area we use techniques such as job analysis, surveys, interviews, and assessments to identify and solve problems for organizations.  Simply put, we measure things.  We are often able to use the measurement information to make recommendations that help organizations operate more efficiently and/or effectively. 

 

Almost any organizational initiative that has been done correctly begins with measurement.  It just doesn't make any sense to address an issue without first working to define the problem. For example, if an organization wants to improve hiring decisions for a particular position, it makes logical sense to measure the requirements of the position before making changes to the hiring process.  Through a job analysis, organizations often find that they were not assessing a key success factor in a position when making hiring decisions.  I help them recognize those kinds of mistakes and provide options to ensure they select the right attributes to measure. 

 

Organizations are often concerned with the morale and satisfaction of their employees.  However, working to address satisfaction and morale issues without measurement often leads to expensive initiatives that yield little improvement.  Conducting a survey to narrow the focus of an organization's efforts in improving morale and satisfaction allows resources to be more effectively utilized and improves the chances of program success. Without such a survey, organizations may use rewards that are not valued by employees, which may lead to program failure.

 

Research and measurement takes the guesswork out of making business decisions.  Gathering important information is the first step in creating selection systems (assessment centers, pre-employment testing, structured interviewing), managing performance (competency modeling, performance appraisal systems, rewards systems, performance improvement coaching) and preparing for the future (leadership development, succession planning, executive coaching).

 

 

Recently, the world of behavioral science lost one of its most interesting and remarkable subjects. An African Grey parrot named Alex died unexpectedly at the age of 31.  Alex taught the scientific community a great deal about avian intelligence and sparked some heated debate regarding the concept of language. But, as important as any of this, the experiments with Alex taught us how to elicit appropriate behaviors.

 

Organizational success, in large part, depends on its ability to elicit appropriate behaviors from employees on a regular basis.  So, what can organizations learn about shaping the behavior of its employees from the incredible life of Alex the African Grey parrot?  Plenty. Here are a few lessons from Alex that can help you develop an effective Employee Rewards Program:

 

1) Identify the specific behavior you want to promote - The first step in promoting behavior is to name it.  What behavior do you want to see?  What behaviors will have the greatest positive impact?  When Alex's research trainers decided to teach him to count, they began by targeting a number (1).  This number would provide a good starting point and could be built on for future learning.  It would set him apart from other birds trained to mimic speech and to do other "tricks."  Likewise, when your organization targets the behaviors you want to promote, consider if it makes good sense and if it will have a positive impact.  You can start with a broad range of behaviors like "improve friendliness," but should then tighten its focus on a single observable behavior, like "thank every customer."  As in the case of Alex, it provides a behavior to build on and will have a strong positive impact.  Being specific makes it easier to measure and reward in a way that promotes success.